Back to the Future: The Game SeasonReview

When developer Telltale Games said it was making Back to the Future: The Game, I didn't know what to think. On the one hand, I was thrilled to see one of my favorite film franchises coming back to video games. On the other hand, how do you make a Back to the Future game that doesn't suck? The answer is apparently clever dialogue and good characters, but that's not to say this title is perfect. Back to the Future: The Game doesn't bomb like the DeLorean brand did, but it's not a runaway success like the hoverboard either.

Exit Theatre Mode

Told in five episodes that are a sequel to the movie trilogy, Back to the Future: The Game casts players as Marty McFly, Michael J. Fox's character from the films. Doc Brown -- inventor of the time machine -- has gone back to the '30s, been framed for arson, and will die via mob justice. The third-person, point and click campaign is focused on changing his fate, but as we learned in the movies, screwing with the past mucks up the future. The goal is to make sure 1986 is just how Marty left it when Episode 1 -- It's About Time started.

When I first started playing this season, I was in love. Episode 1 starts off with such sincerity. Doc's been gone for months, and Marty's broken up over it. This is a side of the character the movies never went into -- Marty's depression made me love him and feel for him as I traipsed around levels. This is the pinnacle of Back to the Future: The Game.

See, the trouble is, Telltale Games gambles away that connection to the character. Episode 2 continues to be grounded, but Episode 3 turns a corner and then the game goes from being an attempt at a fourth movie to a Saturday morning cartoon show. There are sight gags, a human reprogramming facility, and an end to the season that's completely out of character for Doc and Marty. I don't know if I would've necessarily minded the over the top cartoon stuff if that's all the game was, but I got hooked on Marty and Doc's relationship. That connection is briefly touched on in a moment that had me tear up in the final episode, but then the game gets even goofier. It's not committed one way or the other, and that made me enjoy it less.

While the vibe of the story is all over the place, getting through the game and its events are fun. The voice work throughout all five episodes is stellar with Christopher Lloyd back to be Doc, A.J. LoCascio doing the best Michael J. Fox impression I've ever heard, and a cast of new characters that I became enamored with as the episodes went on. These performances and the colorful, cartoon art style setup a world that I could get lost in -- at least until visual issues popped up. Lip syncing was always off, the animations were rigid, and framerate drops were common place. These issues stick out and make the game feel like a less than stellar experience.

Read the Original Reviews

I've spent a lot of time waxing on about the story in Back to the Future: The Game, but that's because story is the reason I'd recommend people play them. The gameplay here is traditional adventure stuff. I'd walk around as Marty, talk to citizens, and use items I picked up to solve puzzles. How does a pipe end up with Marty getting booze? How do I record a confession in the '30s? These are the hurdles I had to face in Back to the Future: The Game. Thing is, none of them were that hard. I was able to motor through the episodes only getting hung up once or twice. Even then, I eventually came up with a solution, but if you get really stuck, there's always the game's generous Hint system. If you're looking for a challenging adventure game, this isn't it.

The Verdict

I liked Back to the Future: The Game, but I didn't love it and that sucks. The first two episodes had me hooked but the next three lost me as they got more and more crazy. I have no problem with a developer trying new things and taking franchises to new places, but starting off serious and ending goofy left me unimpressed.

Back to the Future: The Game is good and an enjoyable journey, but it's not without issues.

7PresentationThere are some touching moments to the story, but then it gets goofy. It's a weird mix. The details on the time machine, the love given to Hill Valley and the other details are nice touches.

7GraphicsThe game looks sharp and colorful, but the slowdown and lip sync issues stink.

9SoundThe voice actors are excellent and really create a cast of believable characters.

7.5GameplayThe puzzles are easy, but the playing through the story and experiencing the conversations are the real fun.

7.5Lasting AppealWith a few exceptions on the conversation tree, there aren't many reasons to play through the experience again, but at around 10 hours, you're getting a good-sized game.